Leavitt’s Replacement, Katie Zacharia, Is Out as White House Press Secretary After Just 5 Days

In a stunning development from Washington, Katie Zakaria is transitioning out of her role as White House press secretary after just five days on the job, making her tenure the shortest in the position's history. U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that he encouraged Zakaria to reconsider staying in the role, citing what he described as intense and unfair treatment by the media. However, Trump denied that he had fired her, insisting that he wanted her to be happy. Speaking to reporters ahead of a rally in Georgia on Friday, Trump said the press had been so nasty toward Zakaria. He revealed that he had advised her to think carefully about continuing in the high-pressure position. President, wouldn't you have liked to have known that Katie Zakaria didn't pass the bar and how would you rate her performance? Well, Katie's been treated very badly by the media. Very, very badly. Very unfairly, I think. And I just spoke to her about it. I said, Katie, is this for you? Because, you know, she's been treated very rough. And she's a nice person. Very nice person. I've watched her for years on television. But I said, is this for you, Katie? Because, honestly, you don't need this. You don't have to be treated this. I would say the fake news, but just generally, the media's been very rough. She was on Sean Hannity last night, and Sean was a little bit tough, and she did, I saw Fox and Friends this morning, they were a little tough. She's been treated, I would say, pretty nastily, and I said to Katie, just two minutes ago, I said, Katie, you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. She said, this is a lot tougher. I said, welcome to the world of Trump. I'm going to let her make that decision. Trump said he had met Zakaria's family and described them warmly, adding that he did not want her to endure what he called brutal treatment at the hands of the media. According to Trump, the decision about her future remained open for discussion. He told reporters that he planned to speak with Zakaria when he returned, saying he believed she should not be made to suffer because of the press. In a separate interview with Fox News, Trump repeated his advice, telling Zakaria that she did not have to remain in the position if she did not want to. He also questioned whether the demanding job could make someone happy, adding that there was nothing easy about serving as White House press secretary. But while Trump publicly denied firing Zakaria, the circumstances surrounding her departure remained disputed. A senior White House official told Fox News that Zakaria was transitioning out of the role. Meanwhile, CBS News reported that two US officials confirmed she was being removed from the position. CBS News also cited a White House aide who said Zakaria had spent the week unusually isolated. Following the announcement, Zakaria issued her first public statement on Friday night through a post on X. Rather than criticizing the administration, she praised Trump's leadership and described it as an honor to work for him. Zakaria called the president kind, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking. She also expressed the view that more Americans should appreciate his leadership, crediting him with making America great. Zakaria's departure followed a turbulent first week, in her first briefing that lasted just 14 minutes and featured only three questions, all from conservative-leaning media outlets, the limited exchange drew attention and raised questions about the briefing's format. Her professional credentials also came under scrutiny, particularly her legal background. Zakaria had presented herself as a lawyer during television appearances. Trump had announced her selection to replace former press secretary Caroline Leavitt, who stepped aside in August.